Ditching-machine.



No. 769,046. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904 I G. W. BASHAW.

DITGHING MACHINE.

- APPLIUATIOH FILED OUT. 12, 1903. H0 MODEL. I 3 SHEETS'SHEET 1.

Attox ney No. 769,046. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

' G. W. BASHAW.

DITOHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OGT. 12, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V Witness es far/W204 I i No. 769,046. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

I G. W. BASHAW.

DITGHING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12 1903. N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I Invgntor Witnesses g U ITED STATES Patented August 30, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE VVi BASHAW, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- 'THIRD TOBEN BOWMAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

DlTCHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,046, dated August30, 1904,

Application filed October 12, 1903. Serial No. 176,790. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BASHAW, a citizen of the U nited States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make anduse the same. i

This invention relates to improvements in ditching-machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this characterwhich may be made to serve a threefold purposefor plowing, shoveling up,and transporting and then spreading or leveling the dirt which has beentransported and dumped. f

Another object-is to provide a machine of this character which will besimple in construction, free from complicated mechanism, strong,durable, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

A further object is to provide a machine of this character in whichcompressed air, steam,

- or other fluid may be employed to actuate the same. I

With these and other objects in view the inventionconsists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of themachine. Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a verticalcross-sectional View. Fig. 4c is a detail fragmentary sectional viewshowing the arrangementof' the draft-beam. Fig. 5 is adetail view of theshovel or scoop.

In the embodiment of the invention aflatcar A .is provided, which may beof any suit-' able construction. On said car is arranged an uprightframe consisting of a lower crosspiece 1, which is securely: bolted tothe carsills. On said cross-piece, at the ends of the same, are fixedcastings 2. Uprights or standards 3 are fixed at their lower ends tosaid cross-piece 1 and are connected at their upper ends by across-piece 4, the ends of which project beyond the same. Said standardsare also connected by crossed brace-rods 5, havingturnbuckles 5, wherebythe same may be tightened up. Brace-rods 6 are connected to the frontand rear side of the standards near their upper ends and to the floor ofthe car, whereby the former are securely held and braced to the car,turnbuckles 6 being arranged in the brace-rods 6 to tighten the same.

Between the projecting ends of the crosspiece 4: and the castings 2 ateach side of the car are arranged gib-cranes 7, the standards 7 of whichare formed on their upper andlower ends with journals which engage bear-1ngs 1n the extended ends of the upper crosspiece 4: and in the castings2, so as to permit said crane to swing. In the outer ends of the booms 7b of the cranes are mounted sheaves 8, and in the standards 7, at theinner ends of thebooms, are journaled sheaves 9: The cranes are held ina working position by means of guy-rods 10, which are connected to eachside of said cranes and to the car, as shown. The booms 7 are connectedto and supported upon the standards 7 by braces 7 When the machine is tobe used for shoveling or scooping up and transporting dirt, scoops 11are arranged at the side of the same and are supported and hoisted bychains 18, which pass over sheaves 8 and 9 and under sheaves 19,journaled in brackets near the lower end of the standards 3, said chainsthen extending forwardly and connecting with the piston-rods offluid-pressure cylinders 12, arranged ateach side of the car.

Air-pipes 12 are connected to each end of the cylinders 12 and to a mainair-supply pipe 13, leading from a compressed-air reservoir 13, carriedby the car and in which air is compressed by the air-pump of thelocomotive, (not shown,) but which draws or pushes said car. Theadmission and exhaust of air to the cylinders 12 is controlled bytwo-way valves arranged in the pipes 12 Near the forward end of the carare arranged draftbeams 15, the inner ends of which are pivoted tobrackets on the side of the car to permit the beams to be swung orfolded inwardly against the side of the car when not in use.

The outer end of the beam is supported by a rod 15, pivotally connectedto a truss-brace 15", arranged across the car, as shown. The beams l5are held in their extended positions by means of a brace-rod 16, whichconnects the forward outer end of the same to the side of the car, and asimilar brace-rod 17 connecting the rear side of the beam to the car, asshown in Fig. 1. These brace-rods are provided with turnbuckles, wherebythey may be adjusted to rigidly hold said beam when in working position.The rods are also adapted to be unhooked or detached from the car topermit the beams to be swung in alongside the car, as hereinbeforedescribed. A series of vertically-disposed openings 15 are formed in thelength of the beam in which are connected one end of draft-chains 31,which are connected at their opposite ends to the scoop or shovels 11,carried by the chains 18. The chains 31 will draw the scoop through thedirt, thereby filling the same, after which said scoop may be hoisted bythe chains 18 and the car run to the place where the dirt is to bedumped.

The scoops 11 are further held by side chains 20, connected at theirupper ends to the cranes 7, and having their lower ends looped throughrings 11, fixed to the side of the scoop, as shown. After the scoopshave been filled and hoisted they are held in horizontal position bydump-chains 21, connected to the cranes and provided on their lower endswith hooks 21, which are engaged with rings 11 on the rear wall of thescoops. The bails of the scoops-are connected to the sides of the same alittle in advance of the center, and short bridle-chains 22 connect saidbails with the rear end of the scoop, so that the same will be balanced.By adjusting the bridlechains the scoop may be tilted upwardly in frontto prevent loose dirt from falling off this end of the same while beingtransported to the dumping-place- When it is desired to dump the scoopafter the same has been filled and hoisted, the dump-chains 21 areconnected to the same, as previously. described, the chains 18 are thenslacked, thereby allowing the forward end of the scoop to drop while therear end is supported by the chains 21, thereby discharging the contentsof the same. To the rear end of the scoops are connected handles 11, bywhich the same may be tilted and guided when in operation.

When it is desired to use the machine for plowing purposes, scoops areremoved and in place thereof are arranged plows which may be of anysuitable style, to the clevises of which are attached the ends of one ofthe chains 31, the opposite end of said chain being connected to one ofthe holes 15 in the draft-beam. The hoisting-chains 18 may also beconnected to the plows, so that the same may be raised from the groundfor returning after a furrow has been plowed.

In order that the dirt that has been transported and dumped by thescoops may be graded and leveled off, spreading-wings or scrapers 23 areprovided on each side of the car, said wings being slidably connected tovertical shafts 2 1, the upper ends of which have a pivotal connectionwith the projecting ends of the castings 2, and the lower ends of whichare journaled in the ends'of a cross-bar 27', supported beneath the carby braces 28 .shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, or to be folded backagainst the side of the car.

When the wings are swung out in working position, one of the chains 31is connected to a ring or staple 23, fixed to the outer side of thewings, the opposite end of the chain engaging the draft-beam 15, wherebysaid wing is caused to scrape or level off the dirt when moved by thecar.

A bracket 25 is fixed to the upper edge of the wings, and to saidbracket is connected the lower end of the hoisting-chains 18, by whichsaid wings may be raised and lowered to move the same into and out ofworking position. When the wings are folded back against the sides ofthe car, they are in a raised position and are supported in suchposition and held against the car by means of bars 26, which extendacross the floor of the car, the ends of the bars passing throughopenings 23, formed in the wings. 1n the projecting ends of the bars 26are formed holes 26", and in said holes are inserted pins 26 which holdthe wings in place against the sides of the car. The lower edge of thewings are slightly inclined inwardly and upwardly to conform to theshape of the track-ballast.

In the construction of the machine as herein described a combination ofdevices are' employed, whereby the plowing, ditching, and spreading ofdirt may be accomplished by the use of the same operating machinery,thereby reducing the cost and expense necessary lor the operation ofseparate machines for these purposes.

By the use of compressed air or similar fluid for hoisting the severaloperating devices or implements the necessity of a windlass and engineto operate the same is obviated. With this construction one or both,sides may be operated either singly or together, so that as soon as onescoop lills it may be hoisted and held up until the scoop on the otherside has beenfilled, at which time this may also be hoisted and the carmoved to the dumping-place.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily. understood without re' with a car, of cranes arrangedthereon to support scoops, means for holding said scoops in workingposition, means for raising and low' ering the same, and means coactingwith said holding and hoisting mechanism to tilt thescoop and therebydump the same, substan tially as described.

2. A ditching-machine comprising a car, a crane carried thereby, a scoophaving a bail pivoted to one side of the center of gravity thereof, andafiexible connection between the bail and the heavier end of the scoop,a hoisting-chain carried by the crane, means to op-- erate thehoisting-chain, means to connect it to the bail of the scoop, adump-chain carried by and depending from the crane, and means to attachthe dump-chain to the heavier end of the scoop, whereby the latter maybe tilted and dumped by the lowering of the hoistingchain, substantiallyas described.

3. In a ditching-machine, the combination with a car, of cranes arrangedthereon, hoisting-chains arranged on said cranes, earthworkingimplementssupported by said chains, motors carried by said car, and having pistonsand piston-rods, the latter being connected directly to saidhoisting-chains, whereby said implements are raised and lowered, andmeans for holding said implements in position to be operated by themovement of said car, substantially as described.

4:. In a ditching-machine, the combination with a car, of swingingcranes pivotally connectedthereto to be swung into and out of operativeposition, to support earth-working implements, a draft-beam carried bythe forward end of said car, draft-chains connected to said beam andtosaid implements whereby they are held in working position,hoistingehains' arranged on-said cranes whereby said implements may behoisted, and motors carried by said car and having pistons andpiston-rods, the latter "being directly connected to saidhoisting-chains whereby the same may be raised and lowered,substantially as described.

5. In a ditching-machine, the combinationwith a car, of swinging cranespivotally connected thereto to be swung into and out of operativeposition, to support earth-working implements, a draft-beam carried bythe forward end of said ear, draft-chains connected to said beam and tosaid implements whereby they are held in working positions,hoistingchains arranged on said cranes and connected to theearth-working implements whereby said implements may be operated, motorscarried by said car, and'having movable elements connected directly tosaid hoisting chains whereby the same may be raised and lowered, for thepurpose set forth, substantially as described.

6. In a ditching-machine, the combination with a car, of an uprightframe fixed and braced thereto, swinging cranes supported by said frame,hoisting-chains arranged on said cranes, draft-beams pivotally connectedto the sides of said car, means for holding said beam in workingposition, draft-chains adjustably secured to said beam, earth-workingimplements supported by said hoisting-chains and actuated through saiddraft-chains, motors carried by said carand having movable elementsconnected to said hoisting-chains to actuate the same, spreading-wingspivotally supported on the sides of said car to be raised and lowered bysaid hoisting-chains and to be swung out and, held in operative positionby said draft-chains, and means for holding said wings folded againstthe sides-of said car, and up out'ofworking position, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have'hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- J. H.1ONEILL, WALTER GARRETT.

